The Magnolia House
by PeeweeWolf
Summary: Kendall didn't understand why he was so different from the other servants of the Magnolia House and why Mr. Diamond was so different from all his past bosses. Kames.
1. Chapter 1

Kendall Knight was apprehensive about applying as a butler for Mr. James Diamond. He didn't know what the man did for a living that got him so rich, but he knew he was very strict and Mr. Diamond knew what he wanted. Kendall was desperate. After all, Mr. Diamond was the only wealthy man in Georgia that gave every servant their own room to live in until resignation or death. He walked up to the Magnolia House, which was what his mansion was commonly known as for its many Magnolia trees. He could also see Stone Mountain from where he was standing, like a silver dome tall in the sky. It was close enough to see the gondolas making their way to the top. If he worked here, he hoped he would get a window. Either way, Stone Mountain not far away was a nice touch. The mansion had a fountain and long white pillars in the front with two stone lions at the entrance. On the side of the house was a garden that was closed off by a tall, black picket fence. He checked the time, noticing that he was three minutes early. A sigh parted his lips as he knocked on the door using the round knocker. As he waited he looked up, noticing the outdoor chandelier and white stairs that looked as old and wan as plywood.

He heard the door open and quickly looked back in front of him. A shorter man with black hair and deep brown eyes in a button-up and blazer opened the door. He was holding a tray of drinks in the other hand.

Kendall opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by an angelic voice.

"No worries, Logan, I'll take it from here." The door opened wider to reveal a tall brunette with glasses. He looked like a god to say the least. He had sharp, perfected facial features, complimented by a nice, muscular body. He had never seen Mr. Diamond in a picture or in person, and he was hoping this was him. But he wasn't smiling as he studied Kendall.

"Come in."

'Th- Thank you." Kendall said nervously. _Must be. _He thought. The floors creaked as he stepped in.

"Would you like anything, Mr. Knight? Strawberry daiquiri? Wine?" He asked, a smile never crossing his face.

"Uh, no- no thank you. I'm fine."

"Alright. Logan, you may go." He said, shooing the butler off.

"Yes, sir." He replied, walking away.

Mr. Diamond clasped his hands behind his back. "I emailed Mr. Holbrook. He gave splendid remarks about you."

"Oh, um. Cool. Do you, um, do you need to see my resume?" He held it up at arm level. He had never been this nervous in a job interview. He had never seen such a strict, modest gentleman. This wasn't a real confidence boost for Kendall, considering he was a homeless, unemployed, shorter man.

To Kendall's surprise, he shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I've heard good reviews about you, and I think I've seen enough. You got the job."

Kendall's eyes widened. He had only been in the Magnolia house for a minute, hadn't even sat down and he already got the job. It was too much of a shock.

"Would you like a tour of the house?"

"Um, sure. That would be nice, th- thank you."

Mr. Diamond put a hand on Kendall's back as he led the way. "My pleasure, Kendall. Don't be nervous. Stuttering shows weakness, no?"

A knot formed in his stomach. The name turned from "Mr. Knight" to "Kendall" in a blink of an eye, and he was already bossing him around.

Kendall didn't have enough time to respond. "This was my great great great grandfather's home, established in 1854. It was passed down the generations, and now it's mine."

It was no surprise to Kendall that it would be that ancient. The air was slightly musty and the floors creaked. The floor was black near the walls where not many people walk. The paint was chipped here and there, but other than its aged flaws, it was one of the most beautiful mansions he had ever laid eyes on.

"It's gorgeous."

"Thank you. Some of my furniture was made in the 1830s. There are some rooms I try to preserve, mainly in the basement where the servants live."

A shutter ran down Kendall's spine. He still didn't know if he believed in ghosts, but he didn't want his first encounter in a musty, 160 year old basement. His heart sank when he realized he probably wouldn't have a window to look outside at the limestone hill.

"How many servants do you have? If you don't mind me asking…"

He sighed, his arm still on Kendall's back. "Four, including you now. I felt the need to hire one more. Three wasn't enough." He answered as they stepped down the wooden steps into the basement. The basement floors were red brick. They weren't smooth like a regular floor either.

"I had the loom room preserved, but I renovated it into a room just for my new butler, which is you I guess."

They walked down the long hallway until they reached the middle door on the left.

"Loom room?"

"Yes. It was where they did work activities like sewing. Here." He opened the heavy door and took his hand off Kendall's back.

Mr. Diamond had done a very nice job. The floor was still bumpy red brick, but there was a bed with a faded purple bed spread with wooden pillars, an old oak-wood dresser and nightstand, and a mirror. There was a woven, purple and army green rug at each edge of the bed. It still looked old timey given its recent renovation. The walls were painted white and there was a lit candle on the nightstand.

"I love it. This is amazing!"

He blushed, but he still didn't smile. "Thank you. I can show you the rest of the house and introduce you to the other servants if you'd like. Then you can come back with your belongings and get situated.

Kendall smiled. "That sounds awes- um, lovely. But I won't need to unpack anything. I just have me."

Mr. Diamond looked at him shocked. "No clothes?"

"Well, I'd wear the uniforms my boss would give me to wear. I- I bought these clothes at a thrift shop." He blushed, not meeting Mr. Diamond's eyes. It was hard not to get lost in them anyway, the way they stared intensely down at him.

"Oh…very well. I guess I'll show you the rest of the house."

"Thank you, Mr. Diamond." For once, Kendall allowed their eyes to meet.

"You won't refer to me as that anymore. Address me as Master." A half-smile etched across his lips.

Kendall felt sudden butterflies in his stomach as his pale cheeks turned a dark crimson. "Oh…ok, Master." He wanted to feel the way it sounded leaving his lips. He felt owned; part of Mr. Diamond's property. He wasn't really sure what to think about that.

At least he was handsome.

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><p><strong>Sorry it seems that this chapter is so short...My chapters always seem to be short :P Oh well. Plz review!<strong>


	2. Author's Note

**PLEASE READ! Important Information!**

**I am going to try to change the cover image of the story. I initially put it as Kendall, but there must've been a glitch because it put my dog instead hahaha. Just letting everybody know so there will be no confusion when/if you search for ****_The Magnolia House_**** in the fanfiction search engine. In addition, I posted on tumblr about my story. If you would like to see the clip fan art I made of my fanfiction, go to my tumblr page. My tumblr username is, well, peeweewolf.**

**Also, I got the idea for this story from actually visiting the Antebellum Plantation at Stone Mountain. So if you happen to go one day, you may see a house similar to the one described in the story. ;)**

**Most importantly, due to personal reasons, this Kames fanfic will not contain major "Kames" if you get what I'm saying. It will become more of a brotherly-like relationship with slight affection rather than them falling in love. If that bothers you, then pretend they actually do fall in love or something. You are the reader- fantasize how you wish to.**

**I need to also add that I have a problem with updating chapters in my stories. Most of the time, it's because of time. I'm going to try really hard to make this fanfic a priority. But with volunteer work, all honors classes, getting prepared for company, and time to breathe (lol), it can be challenging. So please forgive the fact that I can't write every single day.**

**Anyway, thx for reading this short message and happy reading!**


	3. Chapter 2

For the next half hour, Kendall hung on to every word Mr. Diamond said as they proceeded with the upstairs tour. The house was ravishing. It's high windows let in so much sunlight, there was no need for the chandeliers during the day. There were father clocks, anomalous wallpaper, and 19th century furniture. What struck Kendall as odd was how creepy yet cozy it was. The kitchen and bathrooms were, of course, remodeled. His study, however, looked just like it would if his great, great, great grandfather still spent time in it. There were antique globes next to a fireplace with a cabinet full of pictures and smaller heirlooms.

"You must feel very lucky, you know, to have this home inherited to you."

He sighed, "Indeed. I am. Thank you."

Suddenly, Mr. Diamond turned Kendall around, facing him. "But you should never go into the attic. I have classified documents and antiques. It's off limits. Understand?" He pointed a finger towards him.

What was wrong with the attic? "Yes, sir- m- master. I- If you don't mind me asking-"

"No." James snapped before turning back around. A knot formed in Kendall's stomach from his boss's harshness.

Mr. Diamond convened the other servants out in the garden. The formal garden had a arbor made of oak and perfectly cubed bushes leading the way. There was an old fountain in the center that ceased to have flowing water. Dollarweeds and checker flowers surrounded it.

"Kendall, this is Jo and Logan," Mr. Daimond said.

Jo had a long, black and white maid's outfit while Logan had a tuxedo. Jo's radiant smile showed off her innocent, benevolent persona. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." He replied.

He turned to Logan, who was not so peachy. His arms were crossed, his perusal of Kendall obvious. "Hello."

"Hi." Kendall muttered. To defeat the awkwardness, Kendall asked who was bent down beside the arbor.

"That's Carlos. He's the reason this garden is so beautiful!" Jo made known.

"Carlos!" Mr. Diamond hollered. Carlos looked up and practically ran over, dusting off his straight, army green jeans. "What's going on? You never tell me anything anymore, Bossman."

"That's because of your selective hearing," the brunette said with a half-smile, "This is Kendall Knight, my new butler."

"Welcome, Mr. Kendall. I would shake your hand but I've been planting flowers over there," He laughed.

"It's great to meet you." And Kendall meant it, thankful for his laid-back personality.

"You're doing a great job, Carlos. Come, there's one more room I forgot to show you," James said, placing a hand on Kendall's back and leading him out of the garden.

"Yes, sir."

Logan, with his arms still crossed, waited for them to be far enough away before speaking, "Look at him. I betcha he's going to be James's new lapdog."

Jo shrugged uncomfortably.

"You don't like him?" Carlos asked.

"...No." His face was a stone wall, still looking forward.

"Jealous much?" Carlos asked with a smirk.

"Prick."

"_Pendejo_."

"Uh...I'm going to go back to the kitchen." Jo mumbled, shaking her head as she headed back inside.

"You don't think you're actually going to be friends with him, are you?" Logan questioned.

"Well I'm only here part time and he'll probably be inside most of his day. I doubt it, but I'd like to. I see it in his eyes. He looks like a real live wire, like me."

"You think so?" Logan asked, brows furrowed.

"Yeah. He just looks nervous." Carlos shrugged.

"If that's so, then he probably won't last a week here." Logan thought out loud.

"I'm still here."

"Yeah, but you're outside."

Carlos frowned. "I don't know what your problem is, but it's making you act like a real dick and I don't like it." He grabbed a shovel by the fountain and walked off, leaving Logan alone in the garden.

There was something Logan didn't like about Kendall. There was something suspicious. There was no need for an extra servant; why was Kendall here? Logan knew not to press James's buttons by asking, but he was going to find out one way or another.

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><p>Kendall undid his tie and removed his blazer. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. His uniform was a bit too tight for his liking. After checking out the last room, Kendall was immediately given his uniform and put to work. Jo was in charge of the kitchen. Logan was normally in charge of everything else around the house. Kendall also helped out with keeping the house clean when his boss had a client come or a meeting. But Kendall saw himself more as a personal assistant, tending to what Mr. Diamond specifically needed. He wasn't fond of Mr. Daimond's staid personality, but he liked being around the handsome man. He wasn't gay, but James Daimond was the first man to ever make him question himself. He was not to mention mysterious.<p>

Kendall loathed helping Logan clean. Being with Logan was a chore in itself. He knew Logan didn't like him, but he tried to be kind back. That's what his great grandmother always told him to do, that one day it would pay off. It definitely didn't today though. Kendall exhaled loudly, throwing himself back first onto the bed. He kept his eyes locked on the ceiling as he yawned. It had definitely been a tiresome day. He still needed to find out what he would be paid and if he could have the weekends off.

He reluctantly sat up, needing to get a drink of water before going to bed. The lights in the basement would always stay on, thank goodness. Kendall would shit his pants if he had to sleep in a silent, possibly haunted dark basement even though he had his gas lamps in his room.

He ran up the wooden steps and headed to the kitchen. To his surprise, Mr. Diamond was there, closing the fridge with a Black Russian in his hand. He was wearing a red, satin robe.

"I didn't know you drank," Kendall smiled, making conversation.

"Is there a problem?" Mr. Diamond asked with a frown.

Kendall wasn't sure if he was talking about a problem with him drinking or just a problem in general. "Just- Just came to get a glass of water."

"Oh. The glasses are in this cabinet." Mr. Diamond pointed before leaving the room.

Kendall thanked him, knowing he probably didn't hear him anyway.


	4. Chapter 3

Inevitably, Kendall had trouble sleeping that night. He woke up the next morning without the sun waking him up for the first time. He glanced at the father clock in the basement hallway to discover that it was 9AM. After he dressed in his formal attire, he trudged up the creaking wooden staircase. Upon hearing Logan's voice, he sighed and ran his fingers through his unkempt hair.

"There you are! Where have you been?"

"Asleep. Come on man, can't you cut the new guy some slack?" He said more harshly than he had intended, beginning to let his petulant side with Logan get the best of him.

"James wanted you to go to the store and pick up some things. We're out of active yeast by the way," Logan informed, handing him a sticky note list and $30.

"Can't you go?" he wondered out loud, "I can dust furniture too ya know."

Logan scoffed, crossing his arms yet again, "On the lazy side, are we?"

He couldn't help but ask, "Gee whiz! Who pissed in yourcereal this morning?"

"I thought James was to hire a hardworking servant. Apparently I was wrong." Logan retorted, starring daggers at Kendall as he walked past him towards the stairs.

Kendall groaned and rolled his eyes. Logan was probably right about him being a bit on the lazy side, but he simply did not want to deal with Logan first thing in the morning.

"Oh, and uh, one more thing. James'll probably be riding his horse Champ when you return. Don't bother asking him for a ride. He loathes recreational time with the 'lower people.'" Logan said with air quotes, turning around before walking down the stairs.

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><p>Two hours later, with his arms full of groceries, Kendall passed the Magnolia house gates and still had a trek through the windy paths to get back to the mansion. Starvation was creeping up on him, for he had not eaten since the evening before. Sleep deprivation and starvation did not get along well with energy levels. Suddenly, he heard a clatter of hooves behind him. He zipped around to find Mr. Diamond in a gaudy, white, large carriage driven by Champ, a white Shire horse.<p>

"Hey! Heeeyy!" He hollered, waving to his boss. Mr. Diamond noticed, making a slow stop next to him.

"Can I help you?" Mr. Diamond asked.

"Yes, Master," Kendall breathed, still uneasy about the name chosen for the brunette, "I'm exhausted. I need a ride back to the mansion..."

Mr. Diamond stiffened, turning his head, "My apologies, Kendall, but I prefer you walk."

Kendall couldn't help a whine escape his lips, "Could you at least take these bags? Please?"

Mr. Diamond paused for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice firm, "Alright. Bring them up."

Kendall tried to get a footing on the carriage as he lifted the heavy bags that were like anvils to him. Consequently, he collapsed to the floorboards.

"I'm sorry, Master!" Kendall said shakily, letting go of the bags as he slowly tried to get off his knees, to no avail. He just sat there with his eyes closed, too weak to get up.

Mr. Diamond clenched his jaw, "Alright. Fine. I'll take you. But don't get up. I don't want anyone seeing a servant in my carriage." He tugged on the reins for Champ, his only horse, to start slowly trotting again.

"M'Kay." Kendall murmured, steadily standing on his knees and peering out. He never knew Mr. Diamond was old-fashioned to this extent.

After an awkward moment of silence (awkward to Kendall anyway), he spoke. "So...Champ huh?"

"Yuuup. Short for Champagne." Mr. Diamond said, popping the 'p'.

"Oh...neat."

Another moment of silence.

"Why aren't you married?"

"Excuse me?"

"Um, you're rich and smart and, well, handsome. I don't understand why a girl hasn't tugged on your heartstrings yet. Do you not get out much?" Kendall observed.

His boss's throat tightened. He didn't look back at him. "You ask some personal questions, Kendall."

"I'm sorry..." And with that, Kendall peered out at the sun yearning to shine through the many Magnolia trees surrounding them. The sounds of the birds chirping and Champ's trotting relaxed him. His eyes grew heavier with each passing second. The next thing he knew, he managed to be lulled to sleep on the cramped, wooden floorboard of Mr. Diamond's horse carriage.

* * *

><p>Kendall's eyes slowly opened as he sensed his different surroundings. He quickly realized he was in his bed in the basement. Puzzled, he wondered how he ended up here. He didn't want to get up from this warm, soft heaven, but he was <em>so hungry. <em>Fortunately, Jo came in with a tray of food a few minutes later.

"Awake now, huh? I thought so. I couldn't hear your snoring." Jo said, setting the tray on his lap.

"I snore?"

"It's not bad. It's actually kind of soothing when you listen to it. You look so adorable when you nap. Mr. Diamond thinks so too."

He blushed deeply. "What?"

"James carried you in here. He said he saw you fall asleep? He told me to bring your lunch in for you."

His cheeks turned an even darker crimson and suddenly felt tingly inside. He wanted to hate Mr. Diamond for his strict, old-fashioned behavior, but there was just something about him he couldn't quite put his finger on, "Oh. How nice of him."

"Yeah. This is smoked salmon with cream cheese, cucumber, and chives." She said pointing at the plate.

"Fancy. I think." He didn't care what it was at the moment though. He just needed to eat something.

"So, do you like it here so far?" Jo asked, sitting down gracefully at the end of the bed.

"Yeah. A lot to do. It's a little tough working with Logan and all."

"Really. He's pretty nice to me, although he does have his unwavering opinions."

"I noticed."

"And he's blunt as ever."

Kendall smiled. "That too."

"But he's really nice once you get to know him."

"Well I already know he has a bone to pick with me. Although I don't know why."

Jo sighed, lifting herself off the bed, "I'd hate to start gossiping. I better go upstairs and start preparing for dinner...Thank you for getting the groceries, Kendall. You didn't have to do that for me, but that's really sweet of you."

Kendall nearly chocked on his food, "What? Logan told me James wanted me to get the groceries!"

"But I normally do that."

Kendall's brows furrowed as he stared straight across the room. "Exactly. He's out to get me, Jo."

She giggled, "I think you're being a little paranoid, Kenny. I'll talk to Mr. Diamond about it though."

"Thank you."

"Before I go...I forgot to mention- James said you could take the rest of the afternoon off."

He was in disbelief. Was she lying? She didn't seem like the nasty type like Logan was, "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. You can ask him yourself. I think he's in his attic right now though. Anyway, I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jo. Thank you."


	5. Chapter 4

After dusting, Logan sat angrily in the dining room.

_On probation, _he thought, _I can't believe this!_

What he couldn't believe even more was how well Jo and Kendall were really getting along. He was sure Carlos and Kendall were probably hitting it off as well.

He knew he was probably the hated one of the manor now, but he wanted to change that. No one would just walk in here and steal his attention, not the attention Logan had earned and received for 4 years!

He sighed. He was going to make this right for himself, like how it used to be. He just wasn't sure how yet.

He peered out of the room and spotted Kendall in James's study. As much as he wanted to check it out, he heard a sudden scream from the kitchen.

"Logan!" Jo hollered. Logan rolled his eyes. It must've been another tree roach on the wall. He set his duster aside and headed that direction.

In his boss's study, Kendall had caught the eyes of Logan alone in the dining room. Maybe Logan didn't like Kendall because he was jealous? Surprisingly, Kendall hadn't thought of that yet. He had been pondering reasons for the discord all yesterday evening and all morning long.

"So what are you doing again?" Kendall asked his master who was reading a thin, black and white booklet.

"Figuring out how to hook the internet to my new TV."

"How come? Projectors I think are cheaper. You'd still have enough room for that in here."

"The TV's not staying in here." Mr. Diamond corrected.

"Oh, so I take it it's going in your 'man cave?'"

"My what?" Mr. Diamond blinked.

"Ya know, you're attic?" Kendall still wasn't sure what exactly was so interesting up there, but that's what he assumed. In fact, if it really was a man cave, Kendall was surprised he didn't already have one in there in the first place.

"Oh, yeah. That," Mr. Diamond chuckled.

"Do you need my help hauling it up?"

"No, I have a colleague who's coming over. I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping me out with that."

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

"I never said that." He replied in a staid manner, looking up from the directions.

Kendall sighed. "Okay then...do you know how to hook a TV up?"

"Yeah. It's child's play. I used to watch my cousin do it all the time when I was a boy. It's like fixing cars in my eyes." He explained as he set the book down and began opening plastic baggies full of TV wires and bolts.

"Oh. Okay. I never knew you were so good with electronics."

When Mr. Diamond never replied back, Kendall asked him if he needed anything else. He shook his head, and Kendall could tell he wanted peace. He walked out and set his metal tray in the kitchen where a fearful Jo was. She told him what had happened, and that for some peculiar reason, when there was one bug, there was always two. Kendall didn't want to be around for that. With nothing else to do for the morning, he walked out into the decorative garden to see Carlos whom he hadn't seen in a while. He saw Carlos pulling weeds next to the fountain and volunteered to join in. He got down on his knees and started pulling.

"Shouldn't you be working inside?" Carlos wondered innocently.

"Yeah, but I have nothing left to do this morning."

"Really? Nothing?"

He shrugged. "Nothing I can think of."

"Hm. Neat...Mr. Diamond really seems to like you." Carlos said as they continued to pull weeds.

Kendall blushed, "Huh?"

"Yeah. Normally the people working for him labor around the clock."

"Or maybe I'm just that extra servant he doesn't really need." Kendall muttered, jerking a stubborn weed up.

"I highly doubt that. He doesn't hire just anybody."

That made Kendall feel good. He smiled for once that morning, "Thank you."

Suddenly, they could hear the gate open and eventually saw two cars drive up to the manor.

"I still can't believe Mr. Diamond doesn't travel anywhere himself. He must really have a nice study to work in."

"Actually, they usually go up to his attic. I've been picturing the attic as a cool hang out, but now that I think about it, he did say he had some antiques up there. Maybe he's one of those- one of those pawn shopper dudes!" Kendall said in awe.

Carlos laughed. "Who could sa-"

"Or weapons! Yeah! I betcha that's it! He doesn't want us going up into the attic. Do you think he's aiding terrorists?"

"I think you're being paranoid."

"Maybe. Ooh! Or drugs!"

"I still doubt it, but that sounds less paranoid. I'll give you that."

* * *

><p>That afternoon, Kendall was still out in the garden, working, chatting, and learning all about Carlos. He seemed to have a pretty nice, mellow life with a great family and friends, something Kendall always wished he had. Thanks to Kendall, Carlos was able to do two day's worth of work in one.<p>

"Are you going to the laser light show at Stone Mountain tonight?" Carlos asked.

Kendall looked over his shoulder towards the big limestone dome and answered, "No, I've seen it plenty of times. But ya know, I wonder if Master has ever been. He needs to have more fun; he's always cooped up in that house."

"Master?"

"Yeah, that's what I call him. Isn't that how you address him too?"

Carlos dropped his bag of grass seed and burst out laughing.

"Stop it! It's not funny!" Kendall blushed deeply, making him feel tingly inside.

Carlos's face was also red, if not redder. He was laughing to tears. "That's- That's almost precious. Oh my god!"

"Hey, in my defense he wanted me to call him that." The blonde pointed out.

"Oh yeah, you're definitely his favorite. I bet if you took him to see the light show, he'd have you on a leash!" Carlos began laughing again, clutching his ribs.

"That's stupid." Kendall pouted, not meeting his eyes.

The Latino stopped laughing for a moment and winked, "I bet he'd want to hold your hand."

Kendall ripped the head of a flower off and stood up, walking away. "That's it. I'm leaving."

"Wait!"

"What?!" Kendall spat, his hands balled into fists and still blushing.

"You- You really should go. I've seen him go plenty of times, but I don't think he's gone in a while. You should take him. I mean it. I'm sure he'd really enjoy it. I'm sorry."

Kendall stood there for a moment, staring at him. "Alright...Thank you. Bye, Carlos."

"Later, Ken." Carlos said, feeling a bit guilty yet loving every minute of what had just happened.

Kendall went to turn the knob of the back door until it suddenly jerked open on it's own. Jo was on the other side of the door, appearing deep in worry.

"Mr. Diamond fell off his horse."


	6. Chapter 5

**Thx to all of the people who have favorited so far! :) Hope you all like this chapter!**

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><p>"What?!" Kendall heard Carlos react at the same time he had questioned, "Fell off his horse?"<p>

"Yeah. Somethin' spooked Champ and he started running, and Mr. Diamond couldn't calm or slow 'im down. He must've been running too fast or let go of the horn cap or something, and he fell to the gravel on his back. We need your help, Kendall."

"I'm coming too." Carlos said as they ran out the garden gate and let Jo lead them to where he was. It was a long run through the windy path, and Kendall began to wonder how Logan had even found him. Kendall tried to calm himself down by peering up at the sun that was gradually setting behind the world's largest free-standing rock of limestone among the oak and magnolia trees. The trees would have lightning blue, electrifying lasers across their tops from the laser light show tonight.

"Jo?" Kendall could hear Logan call in the distance, along with mild groaning.

"We're here." Jo informed loudly. They turned the corner of a tree and spotted Logan trying to hold Mr. Diamond in a cradle-like position.

"Help me carry him back to the house," Logan ordered Carlos. He got on the other side of him and on the count of three, they lifted him up. The brunette grunted with his teeth clenched. His eyes were squeezed shut as he hissed in pain.

"Where's Champ?" Kendall asked quietly as they walked back to the mansion.

"The land is gated. He should be somewhere around here," Jo answered.

"I think he might need x-rays," Carlos said, talking about Mr. Diamond's back.

No one knew what to say to that valid observation, so Kendall asked another question. "How long were you lying there?"

"I don't know. A while," James breathed.

"Oh, you poor thing," Jo moped, placing her hand on his head. "Oh my god. Sir, you have a pretty big knot on your head there."

Mr. Diamond didn't reply. They could hear katydids and a few crickets begin to chirp, although it was only beginning to transition into evening. Kendall realized that, unless Jo knew much about nursing someone back to health, Kendall, being more of a personal assistant than a chef, gardener, or chore-doer, would probably be taking care of his master most of the time. How long would it take for him to get better? A night? A week? Two weeks?

When they finally reached the house, Kendall went to fetch the first aid kit and Jo oddly went into the kitchen while Carlos and Logan laid him down on his bed.

"I need to make a phone call," Mr. Diamond said after trying to relax his aching, painful muscles against the soft bed.

"Right now? Sir, you just fell off a fucking horse. Why don't you-"

He interrupted Logan. "I need my phone!"

"A- Alright..." Logan said, confused and uncertain as he walked out to go look for it in his study.

James asked to make the phone call in private and had everyone leave the room. Carlos drove back home. Jo was getting ready for bed herself early while Logan and Kendall went ahead and had dinner. In two separate rooms of course.

"Kendall!" Mr. Diamond hollered from his bed. Somehow he could hear him all the way in the kitchen.

"Coming!" He hollered back, grabbing the first aid kit. Jo came out of the kitchen and stopped Kendall, only this time she was in a in nothing but a white, floral silky nightgown.

"I'm going to bed, Kenny. Here, take him this. It should lessen his pain," She said with a smile as she handed him a small glass of Jack Daniel's. "Good luck," She said, placing a kiss on his cheek before heading down to the basement. Although it was assumed to be merely a friendly kiss, he blushed and smiled in the dim light of the hallway.

He had never been into Mr. Diamond's bedroom yet. He wondered what it would look like. And sure enough, it was gorgeous. It had very tall windows where light could shine in during the day. His bed had dark wooden pillars and a fancy comforter. There was a dresser and a closet in the corner and a red loveseat at the back of the room. A few portraits of his ancestors were above these. Although the ceilings were tall, the smallness of the room made it cozy. His bed was next to the door, and a gas lamp with a dome-like lamp shade was on his nightstand. There were numerous candles around the room, but they were all smooth, thin, glossy rocks with wicks in their center.

"Some place you got here," Kendall muttered.

He handed the brunette the whiskey, and he took a few swigs before setting it down. Without a word between them, Kendall sat on his knees on the bed and tried to help him into a sitting position. Mr. Diamond complied with Kendall as he tried to untuck and remove his shirt. Mr. Diamond winced as he lifted his arms to get the damn shirt over his head, and to their surprise, the back was red with blood. Kendall tried to keep the pleasant shock inside himself when he saw his boss's abs and muscular arms that were shining in the candle light from his sweating. His heartbeat sped up as he tried not to stare. He took off James's shoes to make him more comfortable, and he decided to take his own off as well.

He opened the first aid kit and got to work, ignoring James's curses and groans of pain. After he bandaged the cuts, he handed James more whiskey and brought in a pail of hot water. Kendall made James scoot forward and Kendall got behind him. He dipped long strips of gauze into the warm water and slowly placed them over James's back as he moaned in pleasure when each strip was put on.

_Maybe this job isn't so bad after all, _Kendall thought with a smirk. Water dripped down onto the bed and had to be ignored. Then, still without any word between them, Kendall got comfortable and spread his legs, pulling James back and close to him. He placed his hands on James's shoulders and began massaging his shoulders, neck, and back. He groaned in pain but slowly got comfortable with it. Every few minutes, the blonde would redip the gauze into the hot water and placed them back on. It all lasted for a good 30 minutes of bliss for both of them.

"Thank you..." Mr. Diamond whispered.

"Of course. It's my job..."

There was a long silence before Kendall spoke again, "So...when was the last time you went to see the laser show?"

"Huh? Oh...um," He thought for a moment, eyes fluttering as he tried to fight his tiredness, "A few years. I've just been so busy. I-," he chuckled, "I used to go sit outside every Saturday and listen to it since we're so close."

Kendall smiled, "Neat. Um...I was wondering...if you wanted to go this Saturday? I'm sure you'll be feeling fine by then."

"Oh, I dunno Kendall...I'll- pretty busy."

"That's bullshit and you know it! I know you're saying that because you don't want to go with a 'servant.'"

"I-"

"Come on, Jam- Master, aren't we friends too? Can't I be your friend when I'm not working?" he couldn't help but spat out what he thought, even if it was straightforward. He needed to make a point out to him.

He thought for a moment, his eyes fluttering less. "Yes, you are my friend," he tried to turn around, but it hurt his neck too much, "Okay then. I'll go with you."

The blonde smiled, "Good...I think you better rest now." He took off the gauze and gently patted his back with a towel and helped him lie on his back.

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><p>Logan looked at the two of them from afar in disgust.<p>

_I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! _He seethed in his mind. Kendall really was like James's lapdog; a replacement...Logan's replacement. He hated every minute he watched, but he couldn't help it. They both seemed so happy and comfortable, even James who had just fallen off that tall-ass horse. He looked like he was in heaven. Tears pricked in Logan's eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. Crying does not do a man any good; it doesn't make him any stronger. You don't see the enemy crying do ya? Exactly.

He kept telling himself he was going to right this wrong.

And he thought he had just come up with a way!


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello! Just wanted to say that I am one of those people who listen to music while they read. If you're one of those people, I recommend "Roslyn" by Bon Iver & St. Vincent. It's a gloomy song, but it's very pretty and really sets the mood for this chapter I think. **

**Aside from Logan being a descendant of Charlie Sparks and the mistreatment of his family, what you are about to read is true and something that actually happened. You can look it up if you don't believe me, but the images can be pretty disturbing. Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Logan led a life that was not of his own. Not only him, but his <em>family <em>led a life that he didn't think they deserved.

Logan's great great grandfather, Charlie Sparks, thought he knew exactly how to run his circus. Owner of the Sparks World Famous Shows, he had full control. By 1916, his shows grew as the railroads did, having a 15-car circus with large circus beasts, clowns, and acrobats. It was to the point where he had no competition, and he became a refined, trusted man.

Unarguably, not a bearded woman, nor a strong man swallowing swords, nor a tall, friendly clown stole the show. It was the "Largest Living Land Animal on Earth," Mary, an Asian elephant. She awed the crowed not only with her size, but with her tricks. Sometimes, many people came to the circus shows and parades just to see the elephant. Charlie loved her as well. She was crowned the Sparks family pet when his father bought her in 1898. If that wasn't enough, Mary stepped up from a pet to a child he never had. As you would imagine, he treated his animals gently and with respect, especially the star of the circus.

In mid September, the people of the Sparks circus began putting up posters in St. Paul, Virginia, a mining community in the mountains. A young man named Red Eldridge spotted one of the posters. Being a hotel worker, he wanted to do something different with his life. He asked for a job and, despite having no experience, was hired to take care of the elephants and prepare them for the shows.

When Eldridge joined the circus, the following day, their next stop was Kingsport, Tennessee. Thanks to the railroads being completed in the area, Kingsport became very industrialized. The Sparks World Famous Shows was going to take part in the first county fair Kingsport was holding. Like always, many people came to see, standing out in the muddy streets of yet another gloomy, humid day that the men, women, and children were fairly used to. More than anything, they all wanted to get a glimpse of Mary and the other four elephants, Topsy, Queen, and the two calves Mutt and Ollie.

According to many stories and rumors concerning that day, Eldridge guided Mary through the streets with a bullhook. Although it was a sharp instrument, Charlie instructed the man to treat her gently and to not harm her with it. Apparently, as they trudged through the muddy streets, Mary suddenly stopped. She spotted a mouth-watering chunk of watermelon on the ground and went to take it with her trunk. Angry, Eldridge jabbed the elephant's sensitive skin, forgetting his boss's orders. Irate, Mary grabbed Eldridge with her trunk and threw him into the air. His body smashed into a drink stand. With exultance, Mary stomped on the man's head like a watermelon itself. The whole street was a panic as if there was going to be a carnage. They ran, screaming and shouting, confusing the other elephants.

Charlie rushed over to calm the elephant, and a sharp pain burned in his heart when he spotted the bloody body across from him. What hurt even worse was when he began to hear the angry repeated chanting from behind, "Kill the elephant!" Immediately, Mary was staked next to the county jail, and the people of Spark's circus had to make a gut-wrenching decision. Sure, an elephant who hurt someone could be sold to another circus and have their name changed, but it was too late for Mary. This happened in front of hundreds of people, and people across East Tennessee were already hearing of what had happened. Towns began to ban the circus from entering their community, and a mob after Mary was apparently on its way to Kingsport with a Civil War cannon.

How would his circus look if they simply, quietly got rid of her? If they quietly put her to death? Against his will, he knew he would have to put her to death publicly, and probably in a painful way to please the ignorant onlookers who saw her as evil. Gruesome ideas were proposed, such as shooting, poisoning, or electrocuting her, and a few other more barbaric ones. Shooting her would be dangerous, just like trying to electrocute such a large animal close to many people. Mary wouldn't eat anything suspicious, and Charlie knew that. East Tennessee, covered in railroads and forest, had colossal derricks that unloaded lumber. Realizing this, Charlie proposed that the safest, easiest way to go about this was to hang her. But to get such a derrick car, Charlie would have to move the circus down to Erwin, Tennessee. And so they did.

On the morning of September 13, 1916, the elephants knew something wasn't right. Something was up. It wasn't the dreary, rainy weather; they were used to that. It wasn't the people around; they were used to that too. It was that they were walking through the streets of Erwin without Mary, who was swaying nervously, chained in a cage. The elephants, including Mary when they let her walk in line with the other elephants, were stopped in front of a large crane. The circus people began to chain Mary's large legs to the rail of the train tracks to keep her still. Mary was a smart girl. She had a presentiment of what was to come, hesitating to demands and continuously trumpeting. In the mean time, Queen, Topsy, Mutt, and Ollie were escorted away from the scene as a giant hole was being dug for Mary 500 yards away.

A heavy silence filled the air as a chain was fitted around her neck and the circus people signaled for the derrick to hoist her up. The chain tightened even moreso around her. Her front feet moved frantically as her back legs had mistakingly forgotten to be unchained as she was lifted up. The loud, gruesome sound of her tendons ripping could be heard by the onlookers. Out of nowhere, the neck chain snapped and a loud crack broke the silence. Mary had fallen to the ground with a reverberating thump. Everyone was in a panic again, worried that this would be her chance to rise up in anger and stomp them all. However, Mary was terribly injured by the fall. More than anything, she was in a plight of shock. Here she was, being hung by Charlie, her beloved owner!

Moments later, when the panic began to cease, a heavier chain was tied around her neck. For a second go-around, she was lifted up again. Hopeless, she didn't fight back. Within long, grueling minutes, Mighty Mary hung limp and dead.

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><p>The people of Erwin never like to talk about what happened, ashamed and embarrassed as time passed. Although the townspeople of Kingsport should've been careful of what they wished for, Charlie Spark's and his family was put to blame. As years would pass, Charlie's sons and daughters would be ridiculed, spit on, and named, "Elephant boy," "Killer," "Circus bitch," or, a common one,"The Hanger." The Sparks family moved to Chattanooga in the 50s , but moving surprisingly didn't help much. Not having the money to change their names, it became something they had to live with. They became one of the most hated families in East Tennessee in the early century. Right before the 90s rolled around, Logan Sparks was born. Logan didn't want to live a life as a Sparks, and hated every day he was called the Circus freak, even 75 years later after the incident. He didn't want his identity to get out of hand. When he turned 16, he ran away and officially change his name to Hortense Mitchell. He never saw his family again.<p>

He ran away to Atlanta where he met James Diamond who had recently inherited his father's mansion. There were other servants that came and went, but Hortense and Carlos, the gardener, was always there. He worked for him for many years, and they got along really well. In fact, Logan undoubtedly became Mr. Diamond's favorite. They got along so well to the point where Hortense confessed who he really was, just to see what Mr. Diamond would day. He thought it was ridiculous to judge him over something like that and thought it ridiculous of him to change his name. So from then on, Mr. Diamond called him Logan, and not Hortense, telling him there was nothing wrong with being a Sparks and that he should try to do more with his life than being a servant. But Logan was too afraid. Besides, he liked working at the mansion, even though it was the same routine every single day. He felt he was in his own little "family" of friends now, even though Mr. Diamond could be a dick a lot of times and made Logan always address him as "Mr. Diamond."

But Logan felt like "Logan" was a pet name whenever Mr. Diamond addressed him. Every time his boss called him Logan, it always reminded him of when Mr. Diamond told him he was much more special than having to change his name. It reminded him that Mr. Diamond had, or maybe still has, hope in Logan that he could do something better with his life.

The brunette had made him feel special again, and sometimes even his name "Logan" made him feel special.

But Logan began to feel much less special as Mr. Diamond addressed him by his name less and hired Kendall. Was Kendall his replacement? He couldn't handle that. Was Logan becoming boring? This scared him to no end. He didn't know what to do. His only choice was to remind his boss of his presence, and the first step into doing that was to get rid of Kendall.


	8. Chapter 7

Oddly, the week ahead was getting record highs, causing the people of the Magnolia house to be cooped up inside except for Carlos, who had been working like a dog doing god knows what. Kendall and Mr. Diamond didn't mind the temperatures though. Kendall had been working around the clock for the brunette more so than he had before. Despite now being able to sit up out of bed on his own, Mr. Diamond still canceled his meetings, and he wouldn't be able to go to the light show with Kendall. It bothered the man to know end. But he was enjoying the blonde's company, Kendall could tell.

And so could Logan.

"Hey, Kendall, you got a minute?" Logan asked that Friday morning.

"Sure. What is-"

"Kendall!"

The blonde sighed, rubbing his tired face with his hands, "Sorry Logan. Bossman needs me."

"Again." Logan said retorted.

A nervous half-smile etched across his face as he looked down, "Yeah. Again."

Kendall walked into the elegant room still lit with a few candles in midday. "Yes?"

"My back's hurting more again. I'm tired of the heating pad."

Kendall sighed. "Why won't you just take the painkiller? A Benadryl? Gummy vitamin? Anything?" He said as he sat at the foot of the bed. Mr. Diamond didn't like "drugging himself up." He didn't like anything like that messing with his body, which confused Kendall since his boss drank like a fish.

The brunette frowned and stared at him with sharp eyes. "You know me."

Kendall ran his fingers through his hair before walking over next to his bedside, "Alright. Sit up."

"Thank you," he replied blandly.

Mr. Diamond slowly threw his head back and moaned as Kendall massaged his aching back and shoulders.

"You missed a spot," Mr. Diamond said, pointing to the lower part of his right shoulder. He exultantly smiled, letting a glint of his childish side show.

Kendall noticed, happy that he was in such a good mood, a side Kendall hadn't really seen.

"Carlos said you really liked me being here," Kendall said, trying to make conversation.

The brunette turned his head, "Really now?"

"Yeah. And- and I really like being here."

"I'm glad..."

"So, I'm still kind of confused. What do you do?" Kendall pressed.

"Oh, well...I work for Motorola."

Kendall stopped massaging, "Hey, my uncle worked for that company before he retired. He had to travel to Philadelphia and Singapore and Tokyo and all kinds of places. Why don't you travel?"

"Because the kind of work I do doesn't require that."

"But what do you _do_?"

He shrugged the best he could. "Probably more boring work than what you're uncle did."

Kendall didn't try to interrogate him any further. He knew it would be know use. After all, maybe he was right.

After a while, Kendall slowed down, trying to get glimpses of his boss's chest and abs. Occasionally, he would even move his hands down his arms. This caused Mr. Diamond to blush deeply, although Kendall couldn't see it.

"You're staring."

Kendall paused, his mouth making an 'O.' "Sorry."

A moment later, Mr. Diamond replied almost in a whisper, "It's alright. I get that quite a lot."

"I bet. You're body is one of the coolest things about you."

Hurt filled his features, but Kendall couldn't see it, "Really?"

Kendall smiled, placing both his hands on his biceps, "Yeah. I know coming from a guy it's weird, but..."

"Thank you," Mr. Diamond murmured, "I'm feeling better now, Ken. I think I'm going to lay down and rest."

Kendall got off of the bed and smiled, "Okie-dokie, master. You take it easy now. Holler if you need anyth'n."

He didn't respond. When his servant left the room, Mr. Diamond sunk deep into the bed and closed his eyes tight, tightening his fists and drawing a heavy sigh. He felt like shit, worse than he had been the entire week.

Kendall sauntered into the large, quiet dining room and stared out the tall window. It was such a beautiful day; he wished he could enjoy it. He especially wished he could enjoy the light show tonight with his boss. He wished that were happening. He wished he could feel excited for that. But it just wasn't going to occur.

"Maybe next Saturday." Kendall whispered to himself. He let go of the window sill and stuck his hands in his pockets. He started to think. Is _James really a bad guy?_ _What if he really is doing something illegal?_ Kendall internally slapped himself in the face. _Than why would so many people like him? He's a lot smarter than I give him credit for. _Just then, Kendall's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Logan behind him.

"Is something wrong, Kendall?"

He drew a heavy sigh, "Not really. Hey, um...I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Mr. Diamond works for Motorola, right?"

Logan's eyes widened at such a big company name. He shrugged, "I don't know. He's never told us. It's not really our business to ask."

Kendall looked down, blushing, "Oh."

Logan thought for a moment, "If you really wanted to know, I'm sure you could dig something up in his office."

The blonde's head shot back up. He pointed a finger at Logan. "That's searching through his personal crap! That's wrong, and you know it."

"Oh, come on. They're just contracts, receipts, reports. Probably nothing special," he turned to walk out the door, "I guess it depends on how bad you want to know, right?" Logan stood by the door before leaving altogether, "Besides, the poor man's bedridden anyway. No sense in him catchin' you do'n a bit of snooping."

Kendall capitulated on it for a moment. Logan had a good point. His study was right across the hall, probably holding all of the answers to his questions. He quickly walked out of the room and peered around the corner, looking for any sign of Jo or even Mr. Diamond in the hallway. When the coast was clear, he slowly made his way into the old study, cursing the floor for its loud creaking. First, he just liked taking in the feel of the room- the wallpaper, the fireplace, the globes- it was all very nice to look at. He looked through the old china cabinet full of antiques. He squinted, trying to look farther back into the very back. He spotted a few little trophies and plaques that were never hung up. Getting a closer look, his eyes widened.

He smiled deviously, "Well, well. What do we have hear? James never told me he was such a great figure skater...Or a horseback rider"

Kendall was starting to feel guilty about snooping, but he couldn't control his curiosity. He opened some filing cabinet droors, and to his surprise, there actually wasn't much to see because there was hardly anything in there. He thumbed through some papers, turning his head back to see if anyone was coming. They were mainly insurance quotes, property tax papers and whatnot. He groaned in frustration. He carefully rummaged through some of the papers on his messy desk and found something he didn't expect to see. It was a red, already opened envelope. He pulled out a letter and a few developed photos. It was James and another handsome man together. One photo was of them kissing and there was another of James lovingly enveloped from behind in the man's embrace. The third one appeared a bit more sexual. It made Kendall happy to see James' genuine smile in the pictures. They looked beautiful together, but then it hit him- James was gay! He wasn't expecting that, or at least he wasn't expecting that to be such a shock to him. Then, he pulled out the letter.

"Kendall!"

Kendall jumped, dropping the letter to the floor quickly. He turned around to find his boss at the door of the study, leaning against it and his back arched forward in pain from his fall off the horse.

"Mr. Diamond! I- I'm-" He couldn't quite defend himself with the love letter in his hands and the private, sensual pictures scattered on the desk. He couldn't come up with an excuse or explain himself, especially not to Mr. Diamond. It was clear as day that Kendall was snooping around.

Mr. Diamond sped over, ignoring his pain. He snatched the letter out of his hand and got up close to the blonde, "Get out. Get out of my office!" To Kendall's surprise, his voice was shaky. Kendall looked up at him, "I'm sor-," It was no use. Nothing he would say would fix things. Mr. Diamond was enraged.

"God, I could just kill you right now! Just- Just get outta my sight, Kendall," the man growled, giving him a rough push out the office door. Kendall was surprised he didn't actually push him out of the _house_. He was shocked that the brunette didn't fire him on the spot. Mr. Diamond slammed the double doors of his study shut, leaving Kendall already in tears in the hallway. At first, when he was caught, he still didn't regret investigating. However, after seeing the betrayal, pain, and embarrassment in his eyes- that's what did it. That's what pushed Kendall's guilt to its peak.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello everybody! Thx to PurpleFlamesAndSevenSense, annabellex2, and winterschild11 for your reviews. As my mother would say, Much appreciated ma dears! :P**

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><p>How dare Kendall do such a thing?! Mr. Diamond couldn't think; his mind just went blank. He really liked Kendall. he thought he could trust him. He should've known he'd do something rash after asking so many questions. 'S<em>ure is one determined cookie. <em>The brunette thought, thinking of the blonde as he rested his head in his forehead, looking down at the pictures of him and Oliver. But despite what Kendall had done, Mr. Diamond didn't want to get rid of him. Even though he was beginning to know too much about Mr. Diamond's life, he didn't want to fire him. He loved Kendall's company too much to let him go. But he knew, as much as his heart was crying out to him, that he probably had no choice.

But it pissed James off to no end. He had major forgiveness issues. If you screwed him over, just once, you were done for. Period. But how could he bring himself to fire Kendall? Kendall didn't mean to hurt him, he knew that. He just wanted to know more about Mr. Diamond. He just wanted to break the wall his boss was holding up, and he wondered why.

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><p>The summer sun was beginning to set, and in a few hours the dome mountain would begin to play classic country songs for an hour until the light show would actually start. Then, with a mash-up of hip hop and country, in the middle of the show Elvis Presley's "Dixieland" would play. It was a song that played for as long as Mr. Diamond could remember. Sometimes, he would even stop whatever he was doing to open a window or walk out to hear the Elvis song.<p>

The sun's wrath turned into a nice, gentle heat as it began to set and make the sky a beautiful pink among the cumulus clouds. Carlos could always easily spot people walking on the mountain's top any time of day while he worked, something he found quite amusing. However, he was concentrating on clipping the bushes around the arbor when suddenly he heard the back door swing open, and out came Kendall. To Carlos's surprise, fresh tears were cascading down the blonde's pale face. He slammed the door closed and walked out into the garden, holding his stomach with one hand and trying to hide the shame on his face with the other. He fell to his knees little over halfway towards the arbor. Carlos dropped his clippers and ran over to him. He gently forced Kendall to uncover his face and friendly wiped a tear from his eyes. "What's wrong, Ken?" He asked softly.

Kendall was still sobbing, trying to control himself, "I- I did something really stu- stupid, Carlos. I- I went sno- snooping around and Mr. Diamond caught m- me."

Carlos erected his back, taking in what he said for a moment. He encouraged Kendall to move over to the arbor, and once they were under it, Carlos spoke, "What did he say? Are you fired or-?"

That word scared Kendall. He feared he wouldn't have a job again, with no where to live and no family, like a vagabond. And that's what he wanted more than anything- a family. Carlos, Jo, and Mr. Diamond sure felt like one, with Logan being the "annoying uncle" or "irritating brother-in-law" type.

"He- he was really mad. He told- told me to get out of his office. He didn't want ta l- look at me...anymore," he whimpered, "But he's right. Oh, God, I'm such a fool!" He clutched his hair in his fists and looked down to the ground.

Carlos rested his hand on the man's shoulder, "Oh, Kendall. Why did you do such a thing in the first place? You know better than to do something like that; I know you."

"I- I guess not, 'Los. L- Logan had entertained the idea I-"

"What?! Logan?"

Kendall sniffled, "Yeah, so?

Carlos stared into space for a moment, "Kendall, I _really_ think Logan is against you."

Kendall stared at the Latino, although that was such a rare thing considering he never looked people in the eyes while in such an inferior state. "What do you mean?"

"I think he _wanted_ you to go in there."

"And I wanted to go in there too..."

Carlos shook his head, "No, no- you're not getting it Kendall! I mean he's _out to get you_. Out to get you fired."

Kendall thought for a moment. "I- I knew he hated me, but...to get me fired?"

"I knew he never liked you, buddy. He said it himself. That's all I can say."

This time, angry tears burned in his eyes. "Dammit!" It was far from the first time someone had pressed his buttons like that, but it still hurt every time.

"I know what he did was w- wrong, Carlos, and I really h- hate him for it," the blonde explained, putting emphasis on the 'h' in hate, "But it was something...I should've known better not to do."

"But Log-"

"But nothing," Kendall interrupted gently, "Now that I think about it. Let Logan win. Whether I get fired or not, I shouldn't be trying to throw the ball back in his court. I should just blow it off, maybe he'll eventually stop. Working isn't going to be fun for neither of us if we're constantly at each other's throats."

"But you do want to kick his ass, don't you?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Kendall answered almost immediately.

"Well...you sound a lot wiser than I had given you credit for, Ken. If that's how you want to go about this, than I won't stand in you're way." Carlos said with a frown.

"Thank you."

"You know though, some babies were dropped on their heads back in the day. But I swear, Logan must've been thrown into a...freakin' wall!"

Kendall laughed. He was more than glad he had come out there to talk with Carlos. If he was to get fired, he was sure going to miss these talks he had with the shorter one.

That night, Kendall tried to avoid Mr. Diamond as much as possible. He ate dinner in his room, and every time he was even in the same room as his boss, they wouldn't make eye contact and would pretend that the other one hadn't existed. How long would this tension last? Kendall also went to bed quite early that night as well, hearing "Dixieland" being played from outside. It crushed him, knowing that right now, Kendall could be lying on the crowded lawn in front of the mountain with James, listening to James quietly sing along to one of his most favorite songs.

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><p>The next morning, Kendall prayed that WWIII was over as he rolled out of bed. He had dreamt all night, although he couldn't remember about what exactly. He knew that people tend to try and deal with problems in their dream state. This "sleep stress" caused Kendall to sleep later than he had hoped. Nervous, he hurriedly threw on his usual tuxedo and looked over at the grandfather clock in the hallway. Holy crap- 10am. He trudged up the stairs, noticing how silent the house was. He looked around, too meek about yesterday to call out for anyone.<p>

He peered his head around the corner, looking into the dining room. To his surprise, he saw Mr. Diamond silently tying up a few colorful balloons here and there. As usual, he had that strict, always-in-a-sour-mood expression on his face.

Against his will, Kendall slowly stepped in, trying to put what happened yesterday behind him, "What's going on?"

Mr. Diamond didn't look up at him. He must've seen the blonde there in his peripheral vision. "Today's Logan's birthday," he spoke softly in his usual beautiful voice.

Kendall blinked. He remembered Logan telling him that some weeks ago when Kendall had once attempted to make conversation, but being cooped up in the manor for so long caused him to lose track of the date.

"Damn, the 13th already? I wouldn't have guessed it's even September with how hot it's been."

"No," Kendall heard Jo say in a low voice as she brought in a rectangular silver platter, "Today's the 14th. We don't celebrate it on that day."

This confused Kendall to no end. He rested his hand on the wall. There was no door to the dining room but a wide, semicircle opening. "Well I could see if it was on 9/11 maybe, but why not on the 13th?"

If Kendall knew any better, he could've said that Mr. Diamond growled under his breath. He wasn't sure.

"I don't ask." Jo's voice was gentle as she held her hands up, as if she didn't want to talk to Kendall right then.

He wondered why everyone was so quiet, but he played along nonetheless. "So...where is he?"

"Out. He should be back shortly," the brunette informed him.

"Okay...do you need anything, Master?" He asked using the name despite Jo's presence.

James didn't look at him as he was still tying up balloons, "...No..." His boss just flat out refused to make eye-contact with him.

Kendall wanted to leave, but then he realized that he didn't get anything for Logan. Sure, he hated the mincey little fuck's guts, but he felt obligated to get him a present. It was simply part of the cordial, good-willed nature in him.

"H- Hey, Jo?"

Jo was about to saunter into the kitchen but turned to the blonde and gave him a warm smile, "Yes?"

"Have you made a cake yet, or-?"

"No, actually, I haven't. I'm just about to, why?"

"Can I make it? Please? I didn't get him anything, and you both are going through so much work. It's the least I could do."

"Sure, Kenny. I don't mind at all. You go right ahead. Recipe book's on top of the refrigerator. Pick out any cake you like, I'm sure he doesn't mind whichever."

"Thanks, Jo."

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><p>Before Logan had left, he pretended not to notice all of the decorations James had put up extra early in the morning. He was flattered. Maybe James really did still care. For once in what seemed liked weeks, Logan threw on some normal clothes- a leather jacket, a Skid Row T-shirt, and jeans. He wasn't sure of where to go, but that didn't matter. He had the whole morning to figure that out.<p>

Before heading out, he ambled into the kitchen that morning, hearing Jo wishing him a happy birthday, which he was very grateful. Much to his surprise, Carlos walked in.

"Did someone say 'happy birthday'?"

"Why, yes. It's mine." Logan answered casually.

"Well, here- have a beer boy, you deserve it." Carlos said with a smile, suddenly handing him a glass full of beer from the fridge. Not a can or bottle, but a glass.

"But I just woke up."

"What's that got to do with anything?" He asked, getting out one for himself, "Just drink it; you're one year closer to death. Ya need to celebrate, right?"

"Mean," Logan said, glaring at him as he put the glass up to his mouth for a sip. It smelled a bit funny, but when he saw Carlos taking swigs, he figured it was alright. He sipped it down, still having a good bit in his mouth before realizing just how disgusting it tasted. And how _hot. _He quickly set the glass on the table, pushed Jo out of the way of the sink, and threw up his contents into it.

"Great, now I gotta clean that sink," Jo muttered.

"I thought a spicy beer would suit a hot head. I guess not. Maybe this works," Carlos said as he poured his cold beer over Logan's head.

Still in shock, Logan shook his head vigorously, whipping around. "Fucker!"

"Serves you right! I won't let my friend take shit from anybody!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Logan wanted so badly to retaliate and take Carlos's beer and poor it all over him as well, but he refrained.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You've turned on Kendall, and you're making his life a living hell."

"I don't what you're talking about, but looks like now I gotta go change," Logan growled. If only looks could kill.

"Happy birthday," Carlos cooed.

Logan shot him the finger as he walked out.

"Carlos, that was terrible!" Jo said angrily.

"No, no...I'd say that went down perfectly," Carlos said with a smirk.

"No, I mean that was very uncivil of you," Jo clarified through clenched teeth.

"I wasn't being 'uncivil.' He's just a dumbass."

"Speak for yourself."

"What?"

"Look, if I throw a stick, will you leave?"

Carlos set his drink on the granite countertop, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just go, please? I've already got a lot to do and you just increased my workload," Jo said as she looked over at the sticky beer on the floor and then at the sink."

Carlos groaned, "Fine..."


	10. Chapter 9

**I'm glad Logan's birthday coincidentally lies next to the day of Mary's hanging. I thought that was pretty interesting and wanted to throw that in there. That chapter was my favorite to write, especially with the argument. Anyway, here is the chapter I think y'all have been waiting for :} enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Logan's birthday went better than any of them had expected that evening. Carlos wasn't there, just Jo, Kendall, Mr. Diamond, and Logan. Kendall and Mr. Diamond acted like there was nothing wrong between them, like everything was fine. Jo and Kendall joked around, singing "Happy Birthday" to Logan in a breathy, seductive voice like Marilyn Monroe. Instead of the traditional cake, Kendall decided to make a chocolate mint bombe instead, although had never created such a thing in his life. In fact, his first two instructions to himself on making it were: Step 1- Kendall, get you're glasses because you can't read. Step 2- Go get a beer.<p>

He wanted so badly to write some "colorful words" with icing, but he refrained even though a shit like him deserved it. The blonde began to wonder why Logan didn't have any family over; maybe he didn't have any family like Kendall. He wished he knew more about Logan and what he must've been thinking all the time.

Mr. Diamond adjusted himself in a chair, still sore from the fall off Champ. He was more a fan of Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash. It made him feel uneasy as Slipknot, Kiss, and Metallica boomed throughout the house. It was no news to him though, for this happened every September 14th for the past five years. After all, this was Logan's day; this was Logan's day to do whatever he pleased.

"Mr. Diamond doesn't like this music, Loges. Don't you think you both could meet in the middle and play something like Elvis? The Beatles?" Kendall whispered to Logan.

"Quit nagging me, Ken. He's fine." Logan said, trying to wave Kendall away with his hand.

Kendall glowered Logan's way. It seemed like the more and more he communicated with him, the more exponentially annoyed he got with him.

"I could just strangle you right now, ya know?"

"But you know you wouldn't. That would be more work for the gravediggers." Logan replied, not giving Kendall's statement much of a second thought.

Kendall clenched his jaw tight, folding his arms, "Whereas you would though, right?"

"What?" Logan said, able to be heard loudly as a "I Just Wanna" ended and "Enter Sandman" began to play.

"You would fuckin' keel haul me! I mean what's your problem man? What did I ever do to you?" The blonde got up in Logan's face. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that was aiding in releasing the anger deep inside him, but whatever it was, it was working.

"Get outta my face!" Logan hollered, stomping on Kendall's foot as hard as he could, causing Kendall to stumble backwards. He fell onto the dining room table, his back now covered in ice cream from the bombe.

Afraid the two would start a fight, Jo cried for Mr. Diamond like a little child.

None of the servants had even noticed there were people at the door; they weren't expecting anyone. Mr. Diamond, however, looked in a hurry. He sat up, shoving both Logan and Kendall in the chest and away from each other. He gripped the collars of their shirts and hissed, "Stop it right now, both of you! Argh- I don't have time to deal with the two of you. You two gentlemen better get along or I'll be raising hell."

"Where are you going?!" Logan asked over the loud music.

"None of your business, birthday boy," Mr. Diamond said as he opened the door for the two men outside. Logan knew the younger male was never much to party like he, Jo, and even Kendall.

The ice cream began to sink into Kendall's tux, causing his back to feel cold and sticky, "I need to go wash up."

Jo sighed and tiredly rolled her eyes. _Not you too. _She thought. It wasn't even her own birthday, but she wanted tonight to be special. She had been hoping James would take a day off from all of his meetings and that Kendall and Logan wouldn't be at each other's throats. She was sadly mistaken.

Logan didn't say anything back. Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, He tried to drown out all the crap around him by listening to the long Metallica song.

* * *

><p>Kendall shed his blazer and set it in the laundry room and changed into a normal white T-shirt. It wouldn't be long before he'd head to bed anyway. He wanted to see what was going on in the dining area, passing by the stairs of the attic as he did. He was stuck in place when he heard an incoherent sound from above. He still wanted so badly to see what was up in the attic. He had a feeling he would be fired sooner or later after snooping around in the office. Why would investigating one more time hurt? After all, he <em>could<em> say he heard a sound from the attic and thought maybe Mr. Diamond fell. That would be a good excuse, right? But was James even in the attic? What if an animal got in? Or worse, an unwelcome person. Kendall ran into Mr. Diamond's study. Knowing it'd be ludicrous for he and his guests to be anywhere else, he made his way back to the stairwell.

He clutched the newel, his knuckles turning slightly white. He was arguing with himself, taking a long time to decide. Was he being too impulsive? Maybe James was right. Maybe there were simply important documents up there. But how could they be so classified that they couldn't be taken downstairs?

Against his better judgment, he slowly made his way up the attic. Heart pounding, he looked around to make sure Jo and Logan didn't see. He was holding his breath without even realizing it. Hands shaking, he slowly turned the old-fashioned, crystal doorknob. Praying the door wouldn't creak, he pulled the door open and quietly walked through. The music from downstairs could faintly be heard, and Kendall hoped opening the door didn't make it louder. There was a large shelf and a stack of boxes in the way, but he crouched down behind and peered around them.

The blonde was not prepared for what he saw. _James! _He mouthed in shock, almost audible. His stomach lurched. That was all he needed to see and was immediately ready to bolt.

There was a white platform bed in the back left corner of the dimly lit attic, and rose petals littered the floor as well as the low-lying bed. Clothes were tossed to the side. Three men were on the bed, with Mr. Diamond in between them. Sickly, Kendall watched as they both thrusted into James from in front and behind him as girlish moans escaped his lips. James's eyes were closed as he clutched onto the sheets beneath him. His head rested on the man's shoulder in front of him. The one from behind nipped and littered kisses down James's neck and explored James's body with his hands. The brunette blinked, slowly opening his eyes when he heard the music downstairs momentarily louder.

Kendall's breath hitched when their eyes made contact. James's eyes widened, staring at Kendall as if he had spotted his worst enemy. The blonde looked like a deer in headlights. James shifted in his place, wanting so badly to get up and grab Kendall before he could get a chance to tell the others, but he was trapped. He'd have to wait and confront Kendall after the two men were threw screwing him. Little did he know, Kendall would never betray him like that. But when their eyes met, Kendall scurried out of there as fast as he could, slamming the door behind him in a panic.

"What was that?" The man behind James asked, slowing his movements.

"It was nothing," James lied in a raspy voice as he tried not to shake in fear.

His secret was out.


	11. Chapter 10

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit... _Kendall's brain rattled as he quickly ran down the stairs. His face felt hot. A normal person would pack up their crap and get outta there. A normal person would not want anything left to do with Mr. Diamond or the manor. However, Kendall was not the kind of man you would take him for. Stubbornly, he would sit in James's room and wait for him. He was going to have a talk with him. A long one. Although his mind drew a blank, he felt like he would have plenty to say when James would come storming in.

Besides, he didn't have much to pack anyway.

If that regimented shitkicker was going to beat the snot out of him, which Kendall knew he easily could, he would just have to take it.

But he wasn't leaving.

At least not yet.

He sat down on James's bed and rested his head into his hands as he waited impatiently, having no clue whether he'd come storming down in less than a minute or 30 minutes. Thankfully, AC/DC's Back in Black album was busting through the speakers in the dining room, so hopefully no one would hear them argue. A chill rested along Kendall's skin; he felt how creepy it would be if he _wasn't _aware of what James had been doing all this time in the attic. All he wanted right now was to talk to James. Nothing else mattered to him. Not Kendall's future, not Logan and Kendall's discord, nothing.

* * *

><p>Once the brunette was certain the men were past the gates of the manor (which he couldn't even remember their names), he stomped down into the basement in his robe. He raced into Kendall's room. He wasn't in there! <em>After all I've fuckin' done for him! <em>he thought as he quickly scrutinized the renovated room that had previously been the well-preserved loom room. His mind was in too many places to finish his thought. He zipped up the stairs and ran out into the garden, the sound of katydids echoing and the aroma of flowers of him. Frustrated, he slammed the door and ran back inside, ignoring the pain in his back and his new pain in another sensitive area...

"Is something wrong, sir?" Logan asked in the dining room, turning down the music slightly. He noticed he had his glasses off, his hair was disheveled, and his tie was tied poorly.

"Have you seen Kendall?"

"No, I haven't."

"Has Jo?"

"Doubt it. She's been here with me."

"Thank you," he said, barely audible as he rolled his eyes thinking about Kendall. Logan didn't have time to ask what was wrong as his boss walked back into the hallway. _He couldn't have run away, could he? All of his belongings were still there._ James pondered quickly. Sadly, Kendall didn't have, or couldn't _afford _a phone, so he couldn't call him. Where could he be?!

Kendall had already known too much. He should've fired the man when he had the chance. He needed to clear his head. He trudged into his room and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hi, James."

Enraged, the brunette shut the door behind him and locked it. He immediately lunged foreword and pinned the younger down. Kendall never expected the punch coming. He groaned, raising his head back to try and avoid another hit.

"What the flying fuck, Kendall?!" James hissed into his face before punching him again. Kendall's breath hitched as he began to see stars. The aching pain from his blows wouldn't subside.

"We- We need to talk," he breathed painfully.

James wanted so badly to eviscerate the blonde at that moment, but some force inside him refrained as he dug his nails into Kendall's pale neck.

James could hear Kendall's sharp-pitched cries as he spoke, "There's nothing to fuckin' talk about."

" I _told _you to not to go through any of my things," James hissed through clenched teeth as he slowly dug his nails deeper, breaking Kendall's skin and causing him to wince, squirm, and pant under him, "I _told _you to never go into the attic...I _told _you to st-"

"_J- James_!" Kendall screamed, blinking back tears.

Instead of stopping, he only continued. He threw more punches Kendall's way. The more he did, the angrier he grew. Kendall could smell the anger on his breath. Or maybe it was alcohol. Or something. "Why aren't you blacking out?!"

This had to stop. Kendall tried to knee James in the groin, succeeding. James backed away and huddled in on himself. The blonde slowly stood to his feet, swaying.

"Why aren't you-"

Kendall cut him off, ignoring the blood trickling down his neck. He was stuttering, but not from being nervous or scared. He had no idea James would escalate to beating him shitless, "I have- I have a high tolerance for pain." It was true. Kendall broke his arm once while playing hockey when he was 12, but he didn't shed a single tear. He got many burns in his life and wouldn't even notice them until he saw the blisters the next day. He was a stone wall when it came to physical pain.

But emotional was a whole different ballgame.

He spit blood before he began, "Are you done? Because we still need to talk." Now Kendall physically didn't feel up for talking, but his determination was forcing him to nonetheless.

"I told you- there's nothing to talk ab-"

"You're sleeping with men for money!" He said, his voice rising higher in pitch. He pulled out a handkerchief and tried to wipe the dry cum from the side of James's bottom lip as he spoke.

James decided not to lay a finger on him anymore, but he glowered at Kendall, speaking lowly as the blonde continued to clean him off, "You don't think I know that?"

Kendall folded his arms, "How long?"

"Please don't tell."

"I won't. How long?"

The back of his throat burned. He pushed back his hair with his sweaty palm, "I- I don't know." Then his expression hardened again, "It shouldn't matter to you. Hell, Kendall, none of this should matter to you!"

"But I want to help you-"

"_Help me_? Help me?! Help me with what?! I don't need help!"

"But you shouldn't be living like this! You're more than someone's little toy to fuck around with and you know that!"

James backed away, hurt evident in his hazel eyes, "You sure are a prick, you know that? That's not what you said 'day before yesterday!"

Confused, Kendall had to think for a moment. Then it hit him. "James, I didn't mean it."

"Go to hell," the brunette snapped, walking towards the door to unlock it. Kendall stumbled over to the door before he could open it.

"We're not done talking."

"Yes. We are."

"I really care about you. Just hear me out, James. Please?"

He rolled his eyes, annoyance filling the hole where rage had been, "What, Kendall? What lies could you possibly have to say?"

"I don't lie. When I told you your body was the best thing about you- I- I didn't mean it like that...Oh, god. I don't even know where to start. I still don't understand why you're doing this. You have so much potential."

James clenched his jaw and wiped his eyes, ignoring Kendall as he slipped passed him to his bed.

"James?" Kendall called gently. He couldn't believe it. Was James actually...crying? He was the last person Kendall expected to cry. He was so...big and powerful.

He covered his face, "I'm just a _fucking _animal!"

The crying turned into erupted bursts of sobs.

Kendall slowly sat onto the bed with him and pulled him into a hug. "This isn't something you like doing, is it?"

James simply shook his head, "It's the only thing I know I'm good at."

"That's not true- you're really smart. You can sing. And you can hook TV's up. There are jobs for that. I think. And- and I saw all of those figure skating and horseback riding trophies."

James blushed. "I didn't think about that. My father never thought I could amount to anything, especially when I told him I was...bisexual. I believed him. But Jo and Logan really look up to me. And a lot of people here in Georgia. I didn't want anyone knowing about what I do...It's a pride thing."

"You have to stop this, J. You're not helping yourself," Kendall whispered, trying to keep steady after the waves of punches he had received. He felt like he had just stripped James down and revealed who he truly was, and a much more vulnerable version of himself, "And you're not helping Oliver either."

"Oliver?"

"You know who I'm talking about. I could tell you really liked that guy. You're a good actor, J, but not good enough to fake that."

James wouldn't meet Kendall's eyes, not having a clue how to reply, "I know...," Then he changing the subject, looking up at him,"I'm sorry I hurt you Kendall."

"It's alr-"

"No, it's not," He claimed shakily as he desperately hugged the blonde.

"I forgive ya, if you just do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Promise you'll stop...all this, you know," He said uncomfortably, motioning towards James's crotch.

"Promise."

"And that I can just call you Mr. Diamond like everyone else, or James, or sir. I'm not you're dog."

James blushed and smiled nervously, a smile Kendall hadn't seen in ages, "Yeah..."

Kendall had no idea a personality could be snapped in half like that. He wondered if that side of James he had always seen was a façade, a way to get respect and feel omnificent from the people closest to him. He desperately wondered what this new side of James was like, and if he hadn't masked it too long for it to go away. James was never much of a talker to begin with, but he hoped that he would open up more to him. He wanted to learn more about James, not just what he did or his past.

He smiled back, stepping off the bed, "Alrighty- let's start."

The brunette's eyes widened, "W- what?"

"Getting rid of all that nasty stuff up there, silly. It's not like you use that bed up there for anything else, do you?"

James stared at him intently, not sure what to say exactly, "You mean..."

Kendall unlocked the door and walked back over, tugging on the disinclined man's arm, "Come on. It's now or never, right?"

"K- Kendall...," James stuttered nervously as he was pulled out of his room. _But I'm not ready.._ James wanted to say, but he didn't want to let Kendall know that. If there was anything he hated, it was disappointing. He felt tired of doing such a thing. However, he also didn't want Kendall to see all that was up there. Kendall thought there were simply the candles, a bed, and rose petals to get rid of. But there was much, much more up there.

As "Wild Side" echoed throughout the house, Kendall regained his strength, practically dragging his taller, huskier boss up the stairs.

"There's always tomorrow," James felt awfully inferior. He could easily domineer his servant around and tell him to go to bed or leave him alone. But he knew Kendall was just trying to help, and for some reason, he couldn't muster up the courage to push Kendall away.

* * *

><p><strong>The longest chapter yet. I didn't reedit this one much, so I hope you don't mind that. I may go back to reedit it later on.<strong>


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